The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-09-23
THE PRIME MINISTER.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE's SERMON At
THE BROOKLYN TABERNACLE.

Every Man IL Finally Valued ut HI
Real Worth-ltislng to High Positio
Through Public Abuse-The World Mus
Honor Christian Character.
BROOKLYN, Sept. 18.--After bein
closed for some weeks for improvement
and engagements, the Brooklyn taber
naclc was opened to-day. The same over
whelming tllrongs were in attendance a
before. The congregation sang witt
great effect the hymn:
Before Jehovah's awful throne
Ye nations bow with sacred Joy;
Know that the Lord is God alone
He can create and he destroy.
After explaining appropriate passages
Of Scripture, DR.. Talmage took his tex
from Genesis xii, Al: ''And Pharaoh
said unto Joseph: See, have set thee
over all the land of Egypt" The subject
of the sermon was "The Prime Minister. -
DR.. Talmage said:
You cannot keep good man down.
God has decreed for him certain eleva.
ton to which he must attain. He will
bring him through, though it cost him q
thousand worlds. There are men con.
stantly in trouble lest they shall not be
appreciated. Every man comes in the
end to be valued at just what he is worth.
How often you see men turn out all their
forces to crush one man or set of men.
How do they succeed? No better than
did the government that tried to crush
Joseph, a Scripture character, upon which
we speak today. 1t would be an insult
to suppose that you were not all familiar
with the life of Joseph; how his jealous
brothers threw him into the pit, but, see
ing a caravan Of Arabian merchants
moving along on their camels with spices
and gums that loaded the air with aroma,
sold their brother to these merchants,
who carried him down into Egypt; how
Joseph was sold to Potiphar, man of
influence and office; how, by his integ-
rity, he raised himself to high position in
the realm, until, under the false charge
of a vile wretch, he was hurled into the
penitentiary; how in prison he COM
manded respect and confidence; how, by
the Interpretation Of Pharaoh S dream, he
was freed and became the chief man in
government, the Bismarck of the nation;
how in time of famine Joseph had the
control of storehouse which he had filled
during the seven years of plenty; how,
when his brothers who had thrown him
into the pit and sold him into captivity
applied for corn, he sent them home with
their beasts borne down under the heft of
the corn sacks; how the sin against their
brother, which had SO long been hidden,
came out at last and was returned by
that brothers forgiveness and kind
ness, an illustrious triumph of Christian
principle.
Learn from this story, in the first
place, that the world is compelled to
honor Christian character. Potiphar was
only man of the world, yet Joseph rose
in his estimation until all the affairs of
that great house were committed to his
charge. From this servant no honors or
were withheld. When Joseph
was in prison he soon won the heart of
the keeper, and, though placed there for
beng a scoundrel, he soon convinced the
jailer that he was an innocent and trust
worthy man, and, released from close
confinement, he became general super
intendent of prison affairs. Wherever
Joseph was placed, whether servant in
the house of Potiphar or a prisoner in
the penitentiary, he became the first man
everywhere, and is an illustration of the
truth lay down that the world is COM
PEELED to honor Christian character.
There are those who affect to despise
life. They speak of it as sys-
tenn of phlebotomy by which a man is
bled of all his courage and nobility. They
say he has bemeaned himself. They pre-
tend to have no more confidence in him
since his conversion than before his con-
version. But all that is hypocrisy, 1t is
for any man not to admire and
confide in a Christian who shows that he
has really become a child of God and is
what he processes to be. You cannot
1espise son or daughter of the Lord |
God Almighty. Of course half and half |
religious character wins no appreciation.
Redwald, the king of the Saxons, after
Christian baptism had two affairs, one for
The worship of God and the other for the
sacrifice of devils. You may have a
for such men, for mere pre-
ension of religion, but when you
behold the excellency of Jesus Christ
,ome out in the life of one of his
disciples, all that there is good and noble
n your soul rises up into admiration.
Though that Christian be as far beneath
you in estate as the Egyptian slave
whom we are discussing, by an irrevo-
able law of our nature Potiphar and
Pharaoh will always esteem Joseph.
when threatened with death
~ Eudoxia, the empress, sent word to
Ter saying: go tell her that fear moth
ng but SIM Such nobility of character
will always be applauded. There was
in Agrippa and Felix which
their respect for Paul, the rebel
Igainst government. I doubt not they
would willingly have yielded their office
nd dignity for the thousandth part of
hat true heroism which beamed in the
we and beat in the heart of the uncon-
uerahle apostle. The infidel and world
ing are compelled to honor in their
earts, though they may not eulogize
With their lips. a Christian firm in perse-
ution, cheerful in poverty, trustful in
osses, triumphant in death. find Chris
ian men in all professions and occupa-
;onc opd find tba,,, rocnactad opd |